Ferguson and Wallis Among 11 Drovers to Earn Sooner Athletic Conference Honors
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – On Wednesday, the Sooner Athletic Conference announced their annual softball awards, and the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma was very well represented. Head Coach Jadyn Wallis was tabbed as the conference's coach of the year for the sixth time in her career, and Aubree Ferguson claimed the Pitcher of the Year award. It also marks the ninth year in a row that a Drover has claimed the award given to the conference's best pitcher, with Emily Cerny winning five of the awards followed by Sophie Williams' trio.
Furthermore, 10 players earned spots on the All-Conference teams, and Leighanne Eaton earned the Gold Glove Award at catcher.
COACH OF THE YEAR: JADYN WALLIS
Thus far through the 2026 season, Coach Wallis has led the Drovers to a 47-9 record, as well as the SAC regular season championship. The Drovers have played 15 games against opponents that are ranked in the top 25 poll and has put together an 10-5 record in those high-quality matchups, including a 7-2 clip against the current top 10.
The SAC Coach of the Year award is the sixth of Wallis' career (17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26). In her 14 years at the helm for USAO, Wallis has produced a 606-168 record (.783), along with the 2018 NAIA National Championship, three SAC regular season crowns, and five SAC Tournament titles. After winning the national championship in 2018, she was named the NAIA Coach of the Year. Under her direction, the program has produced three NAIA Pitcher of the Year awards, one NAIA National Championship MVP, three SAC Player of the Year award winners, 10 SAC Pitcher of the Year award winners, 115 All-SAC selections, and 23 NAIA All-Americans.
Wallis has guided the Drovers to the NAIA national tournament 10 times, including five NAIA World Series appearances. Following the national championship in 2018, the Drovers have claimed third place at the World Series in three of the last six seasons, excluding 2020 due to COVID (2019, 2022, 2024).
PITCHER OF THE YEAR: AUBREE FERGUSON & FIRST TEAM ALL-SAC
Aubree Ferguson continues the line of dominant Drover pitchers, extending the streak to nine years in a row that USAO has been the home of the SAC Pitcher of the Year. Ferguson claims her first pitcher if the year honor, following Sophie Williams winning the award each of the last three seasons (2023-25), and a five-year reign by Emily Cerny (2018-22). In total, a Drover has claimed the SAC's top honor for a pitcher on 12 different occasions in program history.
This season, Ferguson has produced a 24-2 record, along with a 0.62 earned run average with 164 strikeouts in 157.2 innings. Ferguson currently leads the NAIA in ERA and ranks sixth in wins. She pitched 17 shutouts, which included a pair of no-hitters, and in 28 appearances, she has allowed an earned run in only six of those contests. The Sooner Athletic Conference also selected Ferguson as the Pitcher of the Week on three occasions this season.
In her career at USAO, the sophomore owns a 29-2 record, in addition to a 1.16 ERA and 198 strikeouts in 193.0 innings pitched.
FIRST TEAM ALL-SAC: (8 PLAYERS)
JAYDEN ANDERSON has produced another tremendous season, in which she was twice selected as the NAIA Pitcher of the Week and twice as the SAC Pitcher of the Week. She owns a 12-2 record with a 1.34 earned run average and has struck out 88 batters in 99.1 innings. Anderson pitched her first collegiate no-hitter on April 10 against Nelson University.
Anderson is now a three-time All-SAC selectee and owns a career record of 39-8 with a 1.65 ERA and has fanned 267 batters in 306.1 innings.
LEIGHANNE EATON has delivered her best season to date, producing a .403 batting average with 62 hits, including 17 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs, 34 runs scored, and 77 runs batted in. Her 77 RBIs rank fourth in the NAIA.
In three years at USAO she has claimed three first team all-conference selections, as well as three SAC Player of the Week awards. She was a first team all-American last season, and in her career, she is hitting .359 with 175 hits, 47 doubles, three triples, 28 home runs, 107 runs scored, and 170 runs batted in.
MALEA MCMURTREY earns her fourth consecutive First Team All-SAC selection after batting .481 with 64 hits, eight doubles, seven triples, 54 runs scored, 31 runs batted in, and 34 stolen bases. She has also been perfect defensively at shortstop, converting on all 95 of her total chances.
In her decorated career, she has claimed two NAIA All-American selections, three SAC Gold Glove awards, and the 2023 Rawlings Gold Glove award. The USAO legend has appeared in 211 games in her career, producing a .431 batting average with 277 hits, including 21 doubles, 18 triples, a home run, 230 runs scored, 128 runs batted in, and 130 stolen bases. In the program records, she ranks first in runs scored and triples, while ranking second in batting average, hits, and stolen bases. She also ranks fifth in runs batted in.
MADDY BABER had breakout year in her first season as a starter, producing a .462 batting average with 54 hits, including 21 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 26 runs scored, and 38 runs batted in. She is getting on base at a rate of .484 and is slugging a staggering .778. Baber has also been perfect defensively, converting on all 164 of her total chances.
KINZIE WILLIAMS claims her third consecutive first team All-SAC nod, producing a .369 batting average with 69 hits, including nine doubles, 12 triples, 54 runs scored, 34 runs batted in, and 43 stolen bases. Her 12 triples leads the NAIA. She is also perfect defensively this season in center field, converting on all 62 of her total chances.
In her career at USAO, Williams owns a .417 batting average with 184 hits, 19 doubles, 16 triples, a home run, 139 runs scored, 78 RBIs, and 88 stolen bases. She was a first team NAIA All-American in 2025.
MAVERYCK LIGHTFOOT has been sensational at second base this season, compiling a .371 batting average with 56 hits, including 11 doubles, a home run, 36 runs scored, 26 runs batted in, and 38 stolen bases.
SECOND TEAM: (2 PLAYERS)
TAYLOR CRONIC has been tremendous this year, producing a .377 batting average with 52 hits, 18 doubles, a triple, two home runs, 43 runs scored, 32 runs batted in, and 19 stolen bases.
JORDAN RAMSAY had delivered a .296 batting average with 29 hits, a double, three triples, 30 runs scored, 18 runs batted in, and 23 stolen bases.
HONORABLE MENTION: (1 PLAYER)
LILYANA PORTILLO has had a terrific freshman campaign, producing a .375 batting average with 24 hits, including three doubles, two home runs, and 17 runs batted in.
GOLD GLOVE: (1 PLAYER)
LEIGHANNE EATON follows her 2025 Rawlings Gold Glove award with her first SAC Gold Glove award, as the conference's top defensive catcher. Eaton is error-free in 330 total chances, including 309 putouts, 21 assists, and she threw out 15 stolen base attempts on the basepaths.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Drovers will once again be a host for the 2026 NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round from May 11-14 at Bill Smith Ballpark. The national tournament appearance is the 13th in program history, including a current run of nine consecutive appearances.
The hosting bid is the sixth in a row for the Drovers, with Bethany College (Kan.) emerging victorious and advanced to the World Series in 2021, followed by USAO winning and advancing to the World Series in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Grand View (Iowa) advanced to the world series out of our bracket last season.
Before the action begins on the field, the full 48-team national championship field will be unveiled live on the PlayNAIA YouTube channel at 5 p.m. CT on May 6, giving teams and fans their first look at the road to the title.
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